Bora Bora Shopping

One of the best places to buy the island’s traditional, and sought-after black pearls is at OPEC (Office Polynesian d’Expertise and Commercialisation), where they appraise the treasures using state-of-the-art gemological equipment. Buy them individually or embedded in necklaces.

For exclusive designs incorporating black pearls, visit Tahia Collins’s boutique at the Hotel Bora Bora. Her excellent creations earned her the title “Jeweler of the Year” in 2006-2007 from the Hawaiian Jewelers Association.

Scared to get a tattoo? Jean-Christophe Baudu crafts stunning tattoo-inspired jewelry out of bone – it’s beautiful, edgy, and not-at-all permanent. His work is available at the Galerie a Bora Bora in Vaitape.

Painter Alain Despert is the island’s most prominent artist. (He first garnered fame in 1990 with his Absolut vodka ad.) Check out his work at this Matira beach gallery.

Alain and Linda, a French couple who both studied art in Paris, have a well-regarded gallery in Vaitape. They carry a wide range of high-quality work in a variety of mediums by local artists.

The Bora Bora Pearl Resort and Spa carries the popular Manoi oil (it also incorporates it into their treatments). Although the silky, scented liquid is carried at boutiques and spas island-wide, this is one of the most attractive places to find it.

Most of the pareos in Bora Bora’s tourist shops are mass-produced in Asia.  For locally hand-painted pareos, seek out the studio of Emmanuel Masson in Matira.  Prices are in the $60-90 range – a bargain for a work of art.

Located in the tourist office in Vaitape, this collection of stalls is the best place to find affordable, locally produced handcrafts including baskets and sarongs.

You could go to Papeete for the day, but it’s kind of a dump.  Nonetheless, if you find yourself here on a layover, head downtown to explore the crafts at the market and the nearby fabric stores with their gorgeous Polynesian threads.